Gone Forever
by Foenix Nightshade
Summary: Ratchet just couldn't help but leave to look for her when Sasha disappeared. She was such a good friend to him. Leaving just might have been his greatest mistake.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

A Markazian woman appeared in the doorway of the Orvus Chamber in the Great Clock, where a small robot was watching a collection of screens carefully. "Clank?" she asked. The small robot turned and stared at her sadly with his neon green eyes. "Zephyr just shut down, and Quark…" She closed her eyes, refusing to finish the sentence. She had no need to. She looked back at the robot. "What should we do?"

"Talwyn," Clank said after a short pause. "Unless Ratchet found Sasha…" He stopped, unsure what to say. "I do not know what to do, and our options are very limited."

Both grew silent, lost in their own thoughts. Talwyn was the first to speak again. "What can we do?"

"I am able to perform a scan of the Far Reaches, but that would take time. Time we do not have."

"What of our other option?"

"The alternative is to send out a probe," Clank replied. "This probe will seek out living organisms and AI robots. Once found, a message will tell them to come to the Clock. I believe it is the safest place."

Talwyn blinked. "So they'll end up here."

"Precisely," Clank said.

"What would they do afterwards?"

Clank looked back at the screens. "I have a theory I have been working on. Once it is finished…well, I just hope it works." After this was said, another long silence followed.

"This is the only reasonable course of action, isn't it?" Talwyn inquired.

"It seems to be that way, Miss Apogee."

Talwyn sighed as Clank activated the probes. "Let's just hope this works."

**Short? Yes. Confusing? Yes? Excellent. This is just to get us all started. Chapter one will involve confusion, sadness, and my favorite fluffy Lombax!**

**Ok, that sounded a tad weird…**

**(Ya think?)**

**Shut up, Daniel!**

**(Yeesh. Bossy much? Anyway, review please! We look forward to hearing opinions. More Reviews = Faster Updates. Laters!)**

**Oh, also, I do not own Ratchet & Clank or any other media in this fanfiction. (Is it illegal not to say this?)  
**

**Thank you,**

**Foenix Nightshade**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Location: Planet Veldin, Solana Galaxy**

**Subject: Ratchet**

A golden Lombax jumps out of the cockpit as soon as it's open enough for him to exit. His excitement is boundless. Sure, his five-year mission had been fruitless, but of course he's excited to be home again. He can't wait to tell his friends about the wildness of the adventure he had on his own, all he had learned. Oblivious to the world around him, he rushes into the house, knowing that Talwyn will squeeze the life out of him the second he is in the door. With very little decorum, he kicks the door in, ready for the Markazian to trap him in her embrace. But it never comes…

Surprised, he looks around. "Where'd they go?" he asked himself. The house is neat, as if it had been cleaned just the week before, and no one had touched it since. He takes a brief walk through the house to assure himself that no one is there before he leaves, jumping back into his ship. '_I bet they're on New Fastoon,_' he thinks to himself. After Tachyon had been defeated, Fastoon was repopulated. Not with Lombaxes, no they hadn't been found, but with others. The planet had not been completely restored to its former glory, but it was no longer a desolate wasteland at least.

He sets the coordinates and blasts off to New Fastoon, unaware of the presence observing his every move.

* * *

**Location: New Fastoon**

Dust blows through the abandoned streets of New Fastoon. Where has everyone gone? It seems just as desolate as it had been when he first set foot here. Why has it been abandoned again? Is Fastoon forever cursed to be a place of sorrow and misery?

"Hello?" a voice rings out. It takes him a moment to realize that the voice is his own. He calls out again, louder. "Hello!" The echo bouncing off the metal and rock seems to go on for an eternity, but it finally subsides and the soft whistle of the wind reigns as the dominant sound once again.

Almost intimidated by the silence, and a feeling of frightening dread overwhelming him, he runs down the empty streets searching for anyone, any_thing_ that can tell him what happened. He searches throughout the city, but finds nothing. He is completely alone.

As the sun nears the horizon, he returns to his ship and lies back on the hood, waiting. For what, he can't say. Ten minutes after, the sky is dotted with countless, familiarly patterned stars. After another five minutes or so, the ship's AI system turns on by itself. "Did you have any luck, Ratchet?" The ship sounds considerate and understanding, a concept very few are able to grasp in a less advanced world.

Ratchet shakes his head. "There's no sign of anyone. It's as if they just…disappeared…" Lombax and AI return to silence for a while, the former letting a desert breeze play with his fur and start his tail swaying back and forth over the edge of the hood. Finally, he speaks again. "Where do you suppose they all went, Aphelion?"

The ship takes her time in answering. "I do not know." Again, silence. Ratchet dozes off eventually, the night cool and calm, the breeze chasing away any thoughts he might have. Sometime after the middle of the night, he stirs, and his eyes open. He sits up, wondering what had woken him. His ears twitch as he hears a strange sound. He waits. There it is again: the sound of gears whirring as something makes its way through the desolate city.

Wrench in hand, Ratchet jumps off Aphelion's hood. He steps slowly forward, glancing around suspiciously. Without warning, a small drone appears right in front of him. The Lombax nearly swings his weapon, but he stops, realizing what it is. Its shape is a sphere, colored gold, light blue, and a sort of violet shade. _The same color scheme as the Great Clock…_

"A Seeker Drone? What's one of these things doing here?" He taps it. The drone unfolds from its spherical shape, a screen and a scanning device coming into view. "It's not a Seeker…it's a Message Probe…"

He waits as the probe scans him. **"Identify,"** it commands in a monotone.

"Uh…Ratchet," he replies.

**"Confirmed: Ratchet, son of Kaden, companion of X-J-0-4-6-1. Species: Lombax."** The screen flickers for a moment before three words waver into sight.

**RETURN TO TIME.**

This confuses Ratchet. Return to time? What is that supposed to mean? Ratchet looks at the screen, uncertain of the message's meaning. Time? How is he supposed to return to time? This seems more confusing than a room with miniature planets that could be used to fix time ano- The thought stops, incomplete. Return to Time…

His eyes widen in realization. "The Great Clock! Aphelion, set a course!" He runs back to his ship, vaulting into the cockpit and grabbing hold of the wheel. The glass seals him inside the ship, and they take off, heading for their destination.

* * *

**Location: The Great Clock**

The Great Clock is dark. Only a few parts of it are still moving, functioning to keep the universe from falling apart entirely. Usually, the Zoni would be about, maintaining the machine or just keeping one another company. But there is no one in sight. What happened here? Where were the little creatures that kept the Clock running? Why did Clank let the Clock shut down?

I rush across the platforms, trying to ignore the memory of when I was here last. With Alister… Like it was yesterday, I remember rushing after him on the rail that ended up being the only way to the Orvus Chamber. The battle, the accusations, the mistake. Alister realizing his mistake, and giving his life to save the rest of the universe…

I shake the memory away as I continue my search, finally arriving at the Orvus Chamber with nowhere else to look. I don't see Sigmund around. And no Zoni, not one. There aren't even any Teratropes. "Where are you?" I say out loud, trying to be rid of the oppressive silence. "Is anyone here?" I stop next to the control at the center of the room, sitting in front of the one thing that could have destroyed existence itself. I stare at it, hoping it could give me some sort of clue as to what to do next. I sit there for hours on end, but nothing disrupts the silence that is trying to drown out the world.

_Abandoned._ The word floats through my head like a feather. The world has been abandoned. But how? How did every living being and robot and everything in between manage to just leave? Where did they go?

I swallow hard. I am alone. Alone...just like before, just like it was… I'm still here… left behind… _Why was I left behind?! _Another memory…another time, another place. This had to be a dream. Just a dream. A nightmare.

I squeeze my eyes shut and shake my head vigorously. "Wake up, wake up," I mutter out loud. "Come on, wake up!" But I know already. I am completely alone. There is no one here; this is no dream.

I look up as I feel something brush over my cheek. I gently swipe a hand over it, wondering what it could be. I pull my hand away to see water soaking into my glove. Water…? Tears. I'm crying…I haven't cried since…I don't even remember… sometime when I was little, more than likely. I growl to myself. Crying won't help anything. There must be _someone_ who can tell me what's going on!

That's when I notice a small light flashing on the console, indicating a recorded message yet to be played.

I get up, walking over to the console. There are two lights flashing, actually, two buttons, one with writing beneath it. **Ratchet** Why is my name…? I press the button, hearing the small parts begin to move until, just above the main control, an image of Clank flickers.

**"Hello, Ratchet,"** the recording says. **"I am certain you have many questions."**

I completely forget for a moment that it's just a recording. "Clank! What's going on? Where are you? What _happened_?"

**"I understand that you are confused,"** the holo-image Clank says. **"I am not sure how long it will be until you find this message, but I am almost certain it will be after I am gone. Do not look for me or anyone else. I am sorry to say that you are alone now. If Aphelion has not already shut down, she is most certainly infected by the same thing that destroyed us."**

I don't quite understand all that is said to me during this time. I don't _want_ to understand. It's so much to take in! Aphelion…she glitched on the way here. So that's why…

**"This world is dying, if not already dead. If, when you return to the Clock, Ratchet, you are the only one, ****_leave_**** this dimension. There is a portal ready to be activated. I do not know where it will send you, and I cannot say for certain that you will be safe.**

**"I understand that this is overwhelming information, and there is so much more to tell. The portal is in Sector One of the Clock. In the same room, there is a set of small disks. Take them with you. When you are ready, play the records, and they will tell you all that has transpired since your departure."**

**"Clank?" **A holo-image of Talwyn appears. **"Zephyr just shut down, and Quark…"** The images flicker. After a few seconds, it starts again, Clank once again alone.

**"Ratchet, there is not much time. I wish I could do more to help you, to guide you, but I cannot unless…unless an experiment I have planned works."** The robot glances away, seeming alarmed. **"I do not have much time, Ratchet,"** he explains hurriedly. **"There is something dangerous that has consumed our world. Leave before you are found. Go. Go ****_now_****."**

The urgency of his voice sets me running out of the chamber, his words echoing in my mind. _'This world is dead…you are the only one…leave this dimension…leave before you are found…go _now_…'_ It feels like forever, but I finally reach Sector One. I had been there only once before; the entire place seems different, haunted…empty. I shiver, traveling quickly through the sector until I finally find the room. The door is marked in several languages, but most of the words had been worn away. The only legible word was "**HERE**" in Omniversal. I can't read the other languages other than that. I think I even catch a glimpse of Lombax Runes.

I have to force the door open, but the task is easy enough. Once inside, I see a set of metal shelves and a strange device. The main part of the machine is a circular structure. There's a computer attached to it as well, the activation panel. I assume that's the portal that will send me to a different dimension. Just as Clank had said, there is a set of disks on the nearest shelf. I take them, immediately hiding them in zero-space. I'll look at them later, perhaps.

I look at the other item on the shelf. It seems like some sort of pendant. I pick it up by the chain, staring at it curiously. There are two things attached to the chain. The first is a charm fashioned to look exactly like a Zoni, the only colors being gray and the occasional blue. It's small enough to fit in the palm of my hand, but definitely bigger than my thumb. I wonder what it's made of; it's so light, yet it feels fairly durable. The second charm is simpler. I'm surprised to see that it's a dog tag, the kind a lot of guys in the army wear for identification. My name has been imprinted in the metal, just my name and a few words.

**Ratchet**

**Semper Fi.**

**Always faithful.**

Without another thought, I put it around my neck. I turn around. "Hello?" I can't shake this feeling that I'm being watched. "Is someone there?" My scalp prickles, and I feel a shiver work its way along my spine. My ears perk, listening for any signs of life. I slow my breath, trying to make as little noise as possible. I wait for a long time, hearing absolutely nothing other than the hum of those machines that have managed to keep on running.

After a while, I relax, the strange feeling having gone. At this point, I glance at the other shelves. Looking among them, I found only backpacks, all the same. I didn't bother going back more than a few shelves before heading back to the machine and looking through one on the floor. Inside is a long rope that has been coiled to save space, a few bottles of water, a small bottle of iodine for purifying water, a few cans of food, fishing line and gear, a knife almost as long as my forearm, matches and tinder in a waterproof box, a set of flares, a folded digital screen, a first aid set (placed in a zero-space cube, and fully equipped with plenty of nanotech and other items), and some kind of clothing. There is also an independent zero-space cube clipped on one side. Flipping through its inventory, I see many other items for different survival scenarios. Everything seems in order, I guess.

I latch my wrench to a clip on the other side and put one of my blasters inside the bag, just in case there are complications with zero-space and dimensional travel. I have my fingers crossed against that, though. Last time I was in a different dimension, fighting Tachyon, I had all of my weaponry, but who's to say that's the case for all dimensions? Taking a second thought, I also slip my fully upgraded Lightning Ravager inside the bag. Can't be too careful.

I shake my shoulders, trying to be rid of that _feeling_, before taking hold of the backpack and strapping it on, buckling the straps together for security. Checking to make sure that the pendant is secure beneath my shirt, I start up the machine. The LED display shows a few lines of coded text for just a moment. The light above the screen scans the room.

**_All life forms prepare for departure._**

The computer's voice sounds faint and staticy. It's probably on the last of its battery's juice. The ring that makes up most of the machine begins to shudder and spark. After a few minutes, energy begins to form, taking up the entire space within the ring.

**_Dimensional portal stabilized._**

I stand in front of the portal, knowing I should move quickly. Who knows how long I have until the system crashes? I look back at the door, seeing the flickering, almost-dead lights that illuminate the few working structures of the Clock. This world is – was…was my home. I don't let myself fully understand all of the implications behind this, but subconsciously, I know.

My vision blurs slightly. I sniff, wiping a hand across my eyes. With a final sigh, I face the portal, the energy swirling restlessly. I suppose I should try to think myself as a pioneer. Yeah, that's right. I'm a pioneer exploring a new dimensional frontier.

I have to start a new life…one without my friends…

A glance, just one last glance back at the world I used to call home. Finally, with a deep breath to pull in my courage, I step forward. I can't wait any longer. _One…_ I have to go. There's no other choice.

_Two…_ I always dreamed of leaving the Tri-Galaxies, exploring another dimension unknown to any other.

_Three…_ I step through the portal, shivering at the tingling sensation it leaves on my skin.

_I guess my dream is about to come true._

**Okay, I think I've given you all enough.**

**This first chapter was six pages long, not including this author's note, at 12 point Times New Roman on Microsoft Word.**

**I would really appreciate reviews or suggestions on this. I like my readers to have opinion in my stories, especially for this one.**

**This story will be a casual story. This means that I will update at a very slow rate (unless the whim of my subconscious says otherwise).**

**Again, I would really appreciate reviews. It would be interesting to see what types of different scenarios you readers can come up with for his first look in this strange new dimension.**

**Thank you for reading, and thank you always for your support.**

**~Foenix Nightshade~**


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